Biden faces democracy questions amid strengthening India ties

President Joe Biden faces a fragile dance as he strengthens ties with India amid accusations the nation is sliding towards autocracy.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi obtained a full state go to, addressed Congress, and dined with the Bidens on the White Home on Thursday, simply the third overseas chief to take action below the Biden administration.

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"Two nice nations. Two nice mates. Two nice powers that may outline the course of the twenty first century," Biden stated in triumphant remarks alongside Modi on the South Garden. "Mr. Prime Minister, thanks in your partnership."

Modi gave an analogous message, saying by means of a translator that each nations emphasize democratic values and variety, with India and the US working collectively "for world good and world peace."

However Modi faces accusations of doing the precise reverse, backsliding on democracy and discriminating overtly in opposition to political rivals and his nation's Muslim minority. That led some members of Biden's personal celebration to boycott Modi's speech to Congress.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) tweeted on Wednesday afternoon that she was boycotting and would "encourage my colleagues who stand for pluralism, tolerance, and freedom of the press to affix me in doing the identical."

She was joined by different "Squad" Reps. Cori Bush (D-MO), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and Ilhan Omar (D-MN), the latter two each Muslim. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), in the meantime, known as on Biden to lift issues about Modi's actions throughout his assembly with the prime minister.

Human rights organizations have condemned India's remedy of minorities and political opponents, particularly opposition chief Rahul Gandhi. Modi was denied a U.S. visa in 2005 over spiritual freedom violations, has clamped down on freedom of the press, and divided India's solely Muslim-majority state into two federally managed territories.

The Squad's pledge was in flip slammed by GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley, herself an Indian-American, who blasted the group over its help of "Palestinian terrorists and socialist dictators."

The battle got here to Biden and Modi immediately once they had been every requested about Democratic backsliding throughout a day press convention.

Biden responded that he did deliver up the difficulty with Modi and reassured that democracy was within the DNA of each nations. Modi additionally weighed in, saying there isn't a discrimination in his nation primarily based on caste, creed, faith, or gender.

The fundamental political calculation Biden has made, based on American Enterprise Institute scholar Sadanand Dhume, is that beefing up its alliance with India on the world stage outweighs issues over Modi's conduct inside his nation.

"The principle motive for the go to is geopolitics, not home politics," stated Dhume, an knowledgeable on South Asia. "It is as a result of the U.S. views India as a possible counterweight to China."

Rising tensions with China have been one of many defining problems with the Biden presidency, one which appeared to escalate once more earlier this week.

Countering Chinese language affect can also be a significant precedence for India, which shares a 2,000-mile border with China, the place troops clashed late final yr.

"Regardless of U.S. issues over democracy and India's relationship with Russia, all of that's outweighed by the China angle," Dhume stated. "China is what's driving the connection and the go to."

There's a home angle for Biden, he added, which is that Indian People overwhelmingly help Democrats, that means the go to is an opportunity for Biden to attach with an necessary constituency.

That is a profit for Modi as nicely, based on Manjari Chatterjee Miller and Clare Harris of the Council on Overseas Relations.

“The Biden administration is clearly courting India as a political counterpoint to China, whereas Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Get together see the go to as not solely necessary for countering China but additionally for buttressing Modi’s world picture," the pair wrote. "Since either side need the go to to be a hit, the state of Indian democracy and human rights below the Modi regime, an important subject for critics in each the US and India, are unlikely to be a significant focus.”